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HAT THE LAWRENCE
After much delay the Laurence
strike report has been printed. It
verifies the statements made last
March in regard to the low wages
and bad living conditions in the
textile mill towns.
' As to labor conditions, Com
missioner Neill gives these facts:
Of the 21,922 mill workers of
Lawrence, one-fourth, or about
5,400, earn an average wage of 2
cents an hour. One-fifth of the
total number earn an average
wage of 20 cents an hour, so the
average wage of the entire 21,922
employees is 16 cents an hour.
The, mill town wage system, ac
cording to this report, is such that
it is no longer possible for a fam
ily to be supported by the head of
the family. At least two mem
bers of the family must go into
the mill, in order to make a living
for the family. If there is not a
son or daughter to work, the wife
must work.
Of the 135 permits issued for
'dwellings in 1911 only 11, provid
ed for "one family cottages."
Meantime the report of,the Law
rence Survey just made under the
."White Fund" says that tenement
and fire conditions in Lawrence
are the worst in New England.
The labor bureau agent visited
188 households. He found they
were made up of 1,309 persons. In
one case 17 persons occupied one
5-room apartment, and in another
case 16 persons occupied one 5
room apartment, and in another
case 15 persons occupied one- 5
room apartment.
. tThese apartments renteneral-
STRIKE REPORT SHOWS
ly at $3.00 a week for a 4-room
apartment,. and $3.50 for a 5-room
apartment. The rents are higher,
generally, than paid in the most
crowded sections in Chicago, Mil
waukee, Cleveland and Buffalo.
Those who are anxious to keep
our protective tariff high in order
to maintain "American standards
of living among American work
men, will he interested to learn
that Commissioner Neill's report
on Lawrence shows 30 nationali
ties 'among the mill employees,
comprising among others, 1,986
Asiatic Turks; 1,352 Russians; 6,
693 Italians, 5,943 Irish; 2,301
Germans; 5,650 English; 1,450
Austrianswith considerable rep
resentation from Belgium, Fin
land, France, Greece, Holland,
Hungary, Portugal, Roumania,
Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey in Europe and a few from
Central America and Montene
gro. With the exception of five
other cities, one of them being
Washington, D. C, Lawrence has
the highest death rate of any city
in the United States.
Among a large part of the pop
ulation in Lawrence, macaroni
and spaghetti are an important
article of food. The population
cannot afford butter. Leaf lard
is a substitute. Some butterine is
used. Condensed milk is used in
limited quantities; fresh milk is
too expensive. The women have
no time to sew, and are therefore
at the mercy of ready-made cloth
ing stores. All dealers in necessi-
l ties extend cred;t on the basis o
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